The town developed into a fashionable seaside resort in Victorian times The draining of the sea-marshes enabled the building of new streets. Many of these streets and their buildings have survived and can be viewed today.
Of particular note among many, is the (now being restored) Art Deco styled Torbay Cinema built in 1912 and frequented by Agatha Christie. Oldway Mansion, a precious gem in Paignton’s heritage crown, was constructed in the 1870s and is currently under renovation. There is also the Eastern Esplanade, the Palace Hotel previously Steartfield House purchased by Washington Singer in 1889, the iconic Paignton Pier and the old natural Paignton Harbour.
The Victorian Town trail is in essence an appreciation of the Victorian influence, heritage and the ambience these buildings bring to the town as we know it today.
